In 2023, the median state and local government worker in North Carolina earned $27.40 an hour against $27.94 in the private sector, a gap of -2%. At the 90th percentile the government wage was $49.97 against $71.44 privately (-30%). Both figures are real hourly wages from the same-state ACS sample, unadjusted for education and experience.
The gap is widest in Software and IT (-24%), Finance (-21%), and Management (-18%), and government pay holds up best in Education (+20%) and Protective service (+7%). That is the national pattern too: a high floor, a low ceiling.
Public vs private pay in North Carolina by occupation, 2023
| Occupation domain | Government median $/hr | Private median $/hr | Gap at median | Government 90th pct | Private 90th pct | Gap at 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All occupations | $27.40 | $27.94 | -2% | $49.97 | $71.44 | -30% |
| Admin and clerical | $23.88 | $22.56 | +6% | $40.46 | $40.83 | -1% |
| Education | $25.79 | $21.49 | +20% | $39.79 | $52.33 | -24% |
| Engineering * | $47.81 | $50.14 | -5% | $64.47 | $80.59 | -20% |
| Finance | $32.77 | $41.37 | -21% | $64.12 | $95.78 | -33% |
| Healthcare | $35.17 | $38.14 | -8% | $64.47 | $80.59 | -20% |
| Legal * | $37.61 | $42.98 | -12% | $88.78 | $157.51 | -44% |
| Management | $35.08 | $42.98 | -18% | $66.42 | $107.45 | -38% |
| Protective service | $26.86 | $25.16 | +7% | $43.72 | $49.68 | -12% |
| Skilled trades | $24.55 | $24.18 | +2% | $42.41 | $42.98 | -1% |
| Software and IT | $39.22 | $51.58 | -24% | $68.90 | $88.48 | -22% |
How to read this
Raw medians compare different people: government employs more teachers, nurses, and degree-holders than the private sector does. The parent piece adjusts for education and experience nationally (federal pay 7% above comparable private workers, state pay 17% below, local pay 17% below) and shows the gap opening at the top of the ladder, where private pay in software, law, finance, and engineering has pulled away. This state table is the unadjusted view; the methodology appendix explains both.